Life sciences

One of the ocean's little known carnivores has been allocated a new place in the evolutionary tree of life after scientists discovered its unmistakable resemblance with other sea-floor dwelling creatures. Comb jellies occupy a pivotal place in the history of animal evolution with some arguing that they were among the first animals to evolve.

When nutrients are dangerously low, a group of bacteria have been found to take the drastic measure of getting rid of their tails. Some bacteria use tails, or flagella, to swim through liquids - including those in our bodies.

A Cardiff University archaeologist has revealed new insights into the origins of the crew on board the Mary Rose, the flagship of Henry VIII's navy. The scientific findings of Dr Richard Madgwick, Lecturer in Archaeological Science, suggest that crew members on the Tudor warship, which sank in 1545, may have come from as far away as southern Europe and perhaps even Africa.

Researchers at Cardiff University have found that women taking metformin and/or insulin during gestational diabetes could reduce the risk of long-term complications for their child. The team discovered that the placentas of women treated with the drugs didn't exhibit DNA alterations associated with type 2 diabetes, while those of women not treated with the drugs did.